Raymond Fraser

{{Infobox writer

| name = Raymond Fraser

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|ONB|size=100%}}

| image = Raymond Fraser.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Raymond Fraser in his Paris days{{when|date=July 2018}}

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| birth_date = {{birth date|1941|5|8}}

| birth_place = Chatham, New Brunswick

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|10|22|1941|5|8}}

| death_place = Fredericton, New Brunswick

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| occupation = Writer

| language = English

| nationality =

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| citizenship = Canadian

| education =

| alma_mater = St. Thomas University

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| awards = Lieutenant-Governor's Award for High Achievement in the Arts (2009)

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| website = {{URL|raymondfraser.blogspot.com}}

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}}

Raymond Fraser {{post-nominals|ONB}} (May 8, 1941 – October 22, 2018) was a Canadian biographer, editor, essayist, memoirist, novelist, poet and short story writer. Fraser published fourteen books of fiction, three of non-fiction, and eight poetry collections. Fraser's writings received positive comments from literary figures Farley Mowat, Irving Layton, Louis Dudek, Alden Nowlan, Sheila Watson, Leonard Cohen, Hugh Garner, and Michael Cook.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

Biography

Born in Chatham, New Brunswick, Raymond Fraser attended St. Thomas University where in his freshman year he played on the varsity hockey and football teams, and served as co-editor with John Brebner of the student literary magazine Tom-Tom in his junior year.{{Cite web |title=Raymond Fraser {{!}} NBLE |url=https://nble.lib.unb.ca/browse/f/raymond-fraser |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=nble.lib.unb.ca}} His 20-year correspondence and friendship with the poet Alden Nowlan date from this period.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

During the sixties Fraser worked as a lab technician, a high school teacher, and as editor and freelance writer for a number of tabloid newspapers.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

While living in Montreal in 1966, Fraser and poet Leroy Johnson founded the literary magazine Intercourse: Contemporary Canadian Writing.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} In 1971 he cofounded Montreal Story Tellers Fiction Performance Group and the Rank Outsiders Poetry Extravaganza.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} His first book of fiction, The Black Horse Tavern (1973), was published in Montreal by Ingluvin Publications.

Fraser died in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on October 22, 2018, at the age of 77.{{cite news |last1=CBC News |title=Prolific New Brunswick writer Raymond Fraser dies at 77 {{!}} CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/raymond-fraser-new-brunswick-writer-dies-1.4875163 |accessdate=24 October 2018 |work=CBC |agency=CBC}}

Awards and recognition

His novel, The Bannonbridge Musicians (Ingluvin Publications) was a finalist for the 1978 Governor General's Award.{{Cite web |title=Raymond Fraser {{!}} NBLE |url=https://nble.lib.unb.ca/browse/f/raymond-fraser |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=nble.lib.unb.ca}}

In 2009, following publication of his novel In Another Life (Lion's Head Press), Fraser received the inaugural Lieutenant-Governor's Award for High Achievement in the Arts for English Language Literary Arts.{{cite web|title=2009 LGA Winners|url=http://artsnb.ca/site/en/awards/awards-archive/2009-lga-winners/|website=artsnb|accessdate=11 February 2015}}

Five of Fraser's books were listed in Atlantic Canada's 100 Greatest Books (Nimbus Publishing, 2009), a title also shared by three other authors.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

In 2012. he was made a member of the Order of New Brunswick, the province's highest honour, for his contributions to literature and New Brunswick's cultural life.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

In May 2016, he received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from his alma mater, St Thomas University.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} In 2017, he received the Canadian Senate Sesquicentennial Medal in recognition of valuable service to the nation.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

Over the years he received four Canada Council Grants, six New Brunswick Arts Board Grants, and the Canadian Writers' Trust Woodcock Grant.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

Bibliography

=Fiction=

The Black Horse Tavern – 1973. Revised definitive edition with an Introduction by the author – 2014 (novella & stories)
The Struggle Outside – 1975. Revised definitive edition with an Afterword by the author – 2013 (novel)
The Bannonbridge Musicians – 1978. Revised definitive edition – 2014 (novel)
Rum River – 1997. Revised definitive edition – 2016 (novel)
Costa Blanca – 2001, 2013 (novella & stories)
In a Cloud of Dust and Smoke – 2003, 2013 (novel)
The Grumpy Man – 2008, 2013 (novella & stories)
In Another Life – 2009, 2013 (novel)
The Trials Of Brother Bell – 2010 (two novels, Repentance Vale & The Struggle Outside)
The Madness Of Youth – 2011, 2013 (novel)
Repentance Vale – 2011, 2013 (novel)
Bliss – 2013 (stories)
Seasons of Discontent – 2015 (novel)
Through Sunlight and Shadows – 2018 (novel)

=Biography=

The Fighting Fisherman: The Life of Yvon Durelle – 1981, 1983, 2005
Todd Matchett: Confessions of a Young Criminal – 1994

=Memoirs and essays=

When The Earth Was Flat – 2007, 2013

=Poetry=

For the Miramichi – 1966
Waiting for God's Angel – 1967
I've Laughed and Sung – 1969
The More I Live – 1971
Stop The Highway... 4 Montreal Poets: Raymond Fraser, Clifford Gaston, Bob Higgins & Bryan McCarthy – 1972
Macbride Poems – 1992
Before You're A Stranger – 2000
As I See it – 2017

=eBooks=

The Black Horse Tavern
Bliss
Costa Blanca
When The Earth Was Flat
The Grumpy Man
Repentance Vale

=Anthology edited=

East of Canada: An Atlantic Anthology – 1977 (Eds.: Raymond Fraser, Clyde Rose and Jim Stewart)

=Literary magazines edited=

Tom-Tom (St. Thomas University) Raymond Fraser and John Brebner, eds. 1962.
Intercourse: Contemporary Canadian Writing Raymond Fraser et al., eds. 1966–1971.
The Pottersfield Portfolio Raymond Fraser et al., eds. 1990–1992.
Lion's Head Magazine (online) Raymond Fraser and Bernell MacDonald, eds. 2014– .

References

= In-text citations =

= Bibliography =

{{Cite book |last=Struthers |first=J. R. (Tim) |title=The Montreal Story Tellers |publisher=Vehicle Press |year=1985 |location=Montreal}}
{{Cite thesis |last=Williamson |first=Margie |title=Four Maritime Poets: A Survey of the Works of Alden Nowlan, Fred Cogswell, Raymond Fraser and Al Pittman, as They Reflect the Spirit and Culture of the Maritime People |date=1973 |degree=Master's |publisher=Dalhousie University}}
{{Cite book |last=Clare |first=Stephen Patrick |title=Atlantic Canada's 100 Greatest Books |last2=Adams |first2=Trevor J. |publisher=Halifax: Nimbus Publishing |year=2009}}
{{Cite book |title=Canadian Who's Who |publisher=Third Sector Publishing |year=2015 |location=Toronto}}

External links

[http://www.lib.unb.ca/archives/finding/Fraser/bio.html Archival records for Raymond Fraser at the University of New Brunswick]
[http://raymondfraser.blogspot.com Raymond Fraser's weblog]
[http://www.stu-acpa.com/raymond-fraser.html Atlantic Canadian Poets Archive]
[http://w3.stu.ca/stu/sites/nble/f/fraser_raymond_jospeh.html New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia]

Category:1941 births

Category:2018 deaths

Category:Canadian male novelists

Category:Canadian male poets

Category:Canadian male short story writers

Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent

Category:Canadian male biographers

Category:Members of the Order of New Brunswick

Category:People from Miramichi, New Brunswick

Category:People from Northumberland County, New Brunswick

Category:St. Thomas University (New Brunswick) alumni

Category:20th-century Canadian biographers